Hi Gang,

Thought my first post had better be an intro.  I'm male, 35, living in the UK and single.....oh, sorry...wrong website...

Anyway, I've had migraines since I was 15yo and thought that they were a really bad headache.  I was 20 when I had my first episode of cluster headaches in the summer of 1994.  Diagnosed straight away by my GP and they lasted for about 8 weeks.  Got prescribed strong co-codomols which did zilch for the cluster headaches but did come in handy for the migraines which I still have.  Thanks Doc.

Had another bout around May 1999 and another in the summer of 2005.  Been having them again for the last month.  They always seem to hit around the same time of year and have always (so far) lasted around 6-8 weeks.  My GP has recently given me Imigran injections which are great as they work within a couple of minutes.  

One thing that bothers me though is that after the first cluster headache episode I developed depression which has been quite a problem for me even between CH episodes.  Every time I have a CH episode, it seems like it's always followed by a worsening of my depression.  As if the CH's alter, for some time after the episode, my brain chemistry or something.  I hope that's not the case this time as I could really do without it.  Even mild depression is a struggle.

I must admit to having been a visitor to this site in 1999 and 2005 but never made a post.  Thought I'd rectify that now.  So hello to all my fellow sufferers.

There is no evidence of an inherent or causal link between CH and depression. It is common, however, to have emotional distress because of the way we think about an illness, loss, etc.

You might find it worth a read to see if this material offers some insight for you:

Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

Bob Johnson wrote on Jun 6^th, 2009 at 1:03pm:



Hi Bob.  Thanks for the link.  I've never been depressed about having CH's.  Probably because they're episodic and I have years between episodes.  My depression is due to other factors but it started a few weeks after the first cluster headache episode ended and I've experienced a sharp worsening in depression after every CH episode.  Coincidence?  Perhaps, but I'm convinced there's a link.